International drug baron held; drugs worth Rs 400 Crore seized
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 25 2019: In the biggest ever drug haul, Thoubal District Police have seized contraband drugs worth Rs 400 crore apart from arresting an international drug smuggler.

With assistance from members of Phoudel Keirembi Youth Club and Panthoibi Women Welfare Association, Phoudel Keirembi, a team of Thoubal Police led by SP Dr S Ibomcha intercepted one Tata DI 207 on the inter-village road of Phoudel Keirembi Mathak Leikai, Thoubal district at around 1.10 am of August 24, said SP Dr S Ibomcha while briefing media persons at Thoubal police station yesterday.

International drug baron held; drugs worth Rs 400 Crore seized

As it was suspected that some narcotic substances were concealed inside the vehicle, the driver identified as Mohammad Hussain (35) s/o Zakir Hussain of Thoubal Wangkhem Muslim Mamang Leikai was detained.

Due to the darkness and unfriendly location, the vehicle along with the DI driver, members of Phoudel Keirembi Youth Club and Panthoibi Women Welfare Association were brought to Thoubal police station for proper verification and checking.

As it was late night, the vehicle was kept inside Thoubal police station waiting for sunrise and it was guarded by a security team, the driver himself and members of the club and the women association.

At around 6 am, the security team started checking carpet rolls which were being transported in the vehicle in presence of members of Phoudel Keirembi Youth Club and Panthoibi Women Welfare Association.

On checking the 100 carpet rolls one by one, the police team detected 40 lakh suspected contraband WY tablets weighing 400 Kgs.

Price of the 40 lakhs WY tablets seized from the vehicle is estimated to be a whopping Rs 400 crore.

Twenty packets, each containing 2000 numbers of suspected WY tablets, were found concealed inside neatly prepared grooves of each of the 100 rolled carpets, said the SP.

Subsequently, driver Mohammad Hussain was promptly arrested, said the SP.

Acting on the disclosure of Mohammad Hussain, a team led by SP Dr S Ibomcha rushed to Imphal International Airport and apprehended one international drug smuggler from the airport gate.

The international drug smuggler identified as Kyaw Kyaw Naing alias Abdul Rahim (33) s/o Abdul Jabar alias Ula Sin of Kawhmu village, Moha, Rangoon, Myanmar is said to be actively involved in smuggling contraband substances in Myanmar, India and Bangladesh.

Rs 60,000 in Indian currency, 15 number of 100 denomination US dollars, one 500 Kyat (Myanmarese currency), two mobile phone handsets, passport and other documents were recovered from his possession.

In further follow up action based on the disclosure of Mohammad Hussain, two persons Md Ayub Khan (41) s/o late Md Azizur Rahaman of Yairipok Wangkhem and Md Abdul Razak (35) s/o Md Abdul Halim of Yairipok Tulihal who facilitated in transporting the narcotic substances were also arrested.

The whole operation which led to one of the biggest seizures of suspected WY tablets in the North East region went off successfully as planned including the follow up arrests under the direct supervision of IGP (Zone-I) Clay Khongsai, said SP Dr Ibomcha.

He informed that a case has been taken up at Thoubal police station in connection with the seizure of contraband substances and the arrest of the four persons.